Top Ten Tag

Hey guys,

I was tagged about a fortnight ago by the lovely Nicholle over at Beauty, Lifestyle, Ramblings to do this tag and I'm finally getting around to it now. I like these kind of tags as you can easily see what products people use and love on a regular basis so you know that they really are good.

So lets get started..

Foundation

My favourite foundation that I've found so far is the  No. 7 Instant Radiance Foundation. As you can see it's nearly finished but I'm going to ration it out until I can get a voucher, as it is around the €18 mark, which I think a little expensive.

I have dry skin and this just sits so beautifully on it and gives my face a lovely natural looking glow with the dewy finish that it has. It also matches my skin and undertone perfectly which I also love.

The lasting time is around eight hours before any sign of wear but if I powder it it will stay in place a day for me.

Concealer

Concealer isn't something that I would reach for on a day to day basis actually. Any that I've found just doesn't sit the way I want it to on my dry skin and usually just emphasises it. If you have any recommendations for a good one please do let me know! The concealer that I do use is the NYX HD in Yellow but it's more for brightening my under eyes more than concealing my imperfections.

Powder

Myself and powders have never really got on in the past, any I tried all ended up looking cake-y and dry which was not what I wanted. Then i tried the Bourjois java powder and have been reaching for this every day. A lot of people may not like the fact that it's a little shimmery, but I love it as it illuminates my face in a lovely way. There will be a full review of this up in the future as I feel it deserves it's own post.

Blush

I have been using this every time I apply makeup since I got it way back when Wet 'n' Wild first launched here. I heard that Pearlescent Pink was a dupe for NARS Orgasm which I loved the look of so it was on the top of my list. And it's beautiful. It give such a nice flush of colour that doesn't fade on me throughout the day and the pigmentation of this is amazing. You barely touch it with your brush and your enough for both cheeks.I've had this for about seven months and I've barely made a dent on the design so this will last you for absolute ages and it's only €3.99!

Bronzer and Highlighter

I stuck these two together as they're in the same palette. For for contouring I use the contour side of the sleek contour palette as I love how it doesn't look orange or muddy on my fair skin. It's lovely and pigmented as is the highlighter. the highter is a beautiful champagne tone with really fine shimmer. It catches the light really nicely and it also suits my fair skin tone. Review here.

Mascara

 Catrice The GIANT Extreme Volume mascara. My favourite mascara and now unfortunately discontinued. I have a few mascaras that I do really like but they just don't make my lashes as amazing as this one does.

I have a full review on it Here if you want to know more about it.

Eyeshadow

This was quite a hard one as I do mix and match different brands together but if I'm going away for the weekend or anything I always take the MUA Smokin Palette with me so this is a definite favourite.

 You can create day and night time looks with the colours and the pigmentation is excellent. I have a full review if you'd like to see swatches Here.

Brows

Soap and Glory Archery. It's been on my face everyday since I bought it. It's so easy to use and the colour range is quite goos as well. there's a full review here.

Lip Products

The Essence Longlasting Lipsticks (black tubes). These are amazing. They were in my first few reviews on here (here) and I still wear them a few times every week. I have a stockpile of the colours I love in case i lose them or use one up as I'd hate to be without them.

So there you have it. Those are the products that i love to use and don't know if I could do without.
I tag : sparkleblossombeauty
Ah Sure Tis lovely
Passions and Preening
Blather and Beauty

and anyone else who'd like to do it!
What are your holy grail products and have you any conncealer reccommendations for dry skin? I'd love to know..

A little life update..

I've been very inconsistent at blogging lately, which I'm actually really missing. But life has completely taken over in the past month or so. 

I've been working crazy hours to try and get and much money as possible for the move down to Dublin (terrified and excited all at once!) and trying to move out of our place we have now all in the space of about three weeks.

from something like this:

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to this

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We still don't actually have a place to move into in Dublin yet, but as soon as we do I'm on my way down. We have a few places to view on Friday and I've stupidly fallen in love with one of the places already. Bad idea I know.

 So hopefully in two weeks I'll be down in Dublin, settling in and not getting lost absolutely everwhere.

 The bf's as calm as anything and I'm freaking out enough for the both of us, fear of the unknown and all that.

It's going to be a bit of a culture shock as I'm used to traffic jams caused by sheep or cows on the road, my local town having one main street so no chance of getting lost and everyone knowing everyone( and their business-I won't miss that).

So blogging will probably take another while to become consistant again while I get sorted and then settled down with a job in Dublin (fingers crossed).

You can follow me on Twitter here and see just how often I get lost while there, It'll be fun for everyone ha. 

Am I silly to be freaking out? And what places to I need to go to in Dublin? Seriously, I have no clue.

Autumn Clothes Haul!

I don't go clothes shopping that often as I went through a spell a few years ago of buying absolutely everything, so i do have enough clothes to last me a few years. I was in Penny's in Derry a few weeks ago and did pick up a few things though so I thought I'd share them with you.

I picked up these stud earrings as I'm having a bit of a moment with small earrings. In the past I loved the big dangly ones but studs are just so handy for work and everyday. So I bought three different designs.

I love buying cosy jumpers as it gets colder so I picked up these two in this simple design to just throw on whenever it did get a little chillier.

I got them in a size 16 as I like my jumpers to be a little loose but I was swamped by them. My mum measured them and it turns out they're really a size 22, not 16 like the tag said so I think next time I go shopping I'll actually try things on before I pay for them..

These were around the £10 mark.

I fell in love with this scarf as soon as I saw it and then fell in love a little bit more when I felt it. It's so soft and perfectly cosy and I love the colours of it.

This was £3.

Hat's do not suit me much but when it starts to get very cold I don't really mind that. I'd rather be nice and warm than looking ok and freezing.I like the colour as back and white go with nearly everything and it's just handy to pull on.I've never mastered those floppy hats that sit halfway back on your head.

Socks..not very exciting but a necessity. I was actually looking for the thick fluffy socks that Penney's do but they didn't have any that I could see.these were £3 for seven pairs.

'Ugg' boots as I love to wear these around the house when it starts to get chiller as they're so cosy and if I need to run outside quick I can carry on easily.these were £7

I picked this up in Asda as it was on offer for £4 and I love anything by Karin Slaughter.

This book follows Faith Mitchell after her mother disappears and Will Trent and Sara Lipton help her figure out what happened. Terrible description but I don't want to give too much away, but I'm about halfway through and I'm really enjoying it.

I got this purely because it reminded me of Calamity Jane which is one of my favourite films so I thought I'd try it to see what it was like.

It's rotten. I nearly spat it out it was that bad . It has a strange taste of liquorice which I usually like but it was just not for me at all.

 So there you have it. I might do another Autumn and Winter shop once I get settled in down in Dublin as I already have my eye on a gorgeous jacket in Penny's that I know I need to have.

Is there anything you always buy as soon as it starts to get cold? 

My Autumnal Makeup

Hi guys,

I thought I'd show you what i've been wearing almost everyday for the past fortnight or so.

I do change up different bits of it like lipstick or the eyeliner but this is the basic look.

 I start with my eyes first by putting a layer of NYX jumbo pencil in French fries all over the mobile lid and a little into the crease.

I then pat on the rose gold shade from my Catrice eyeshadow quad in Never Let Me Go all over it. This makes it so shimmery, It's not too disco ball though I think. I then blend the mid brown into the crease to give my eyes a little more depth. I sometimes skip this as I have hooded eyes so you don't always see it anyway.

On days where I wear eyeliner I use my Ted Baker felt tip eyeliner to draw a very small wing. If I'm not using eyeliner I trace across the lash line with the definer shade from the green side of wet n wild comfort zone palette.

I apply my foundation (currently the Catrice Nude Illusion) with my Real Techniques blending sponge.

For lips I do change it up every day but I've been loving wearing the Wet and Wild Megaslicks Balm Stain in Lady is a Vamp patted on and blended out my lip. I love using this because as the day goes on I can easily apply more to bring it to a more night time look or just keep it sheer for daytime.

Blush is usually my Wet n Wild Blush in Pearlscent* Pink.

*Not a typo,it's the way it's spelt on the packaging..which I'm fairly sure is a mistake..

Brows are done using Soap and Glory Archery in Love is Blonde and then that's me done for the day.

 What colours do you like to wear in Autumn? Would you try this look out?

Essence I Love Stage Eyeshadow Primer

This is one of my most repurchased items from essence. For a cheap and cheerful product it certainly packs a punch.

It's a yellow toned primer so if you have quite noticeable veining or blueness on your eyelids then this is perfect.
It's in a little plastic tube that comes with a doe-foot applicator. I have enough for both of my eyes with the product on the applicator.

I find that this product is brilliant for bring out the duo chrome and shimmer that are in shadows as well as prolong the lasting power considerably.

Left-over primer 
Right- without primer
I also like to use this under my under eye concealer as it is yellow based so it helps to neutralise my dark circles further and helps my concealer from creasing.
 The only thing is with this primer is that if you apply to much you get the opposite effect. I find if I use more than just enough to blend over my eye from lash line to brow that my eye shadows do tend to crease a bit more than usual but if you use this sparingly I think you'll get on great with it.
It comes in one shade only which I hope they expand soon.
This retails for €2.99 and you can find it in Penney's and most chemists around Ireland.

Have you tried this primer? What primer do you love?I'd love to know..

Dream Dots* Review

I was sent these over a month ago for review purposes and I have been putting it through it's paces. They are an Irish brand that are also vegan and cruelty free.

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I used it first on a few little pimples and they did exactly what they claimed to do. The spots were gone overnight and left no proof that they had ever been on my face.

I was delighted.

Then I got a monster of a spot right between my upper lip and nose for all the world to see. This was one that was actually painful if you touched it at all so I was depending on the dream dots to work it's magic.The first night I put it on an hour before bed to give it a little extra time to work and hoped for the best.

The next morning I peeled it off and the spot was still there. Not as big or painful but still noticeable. I used the dots for the next two nights in a row and by the third morning it had disappeared.

On the Sam Mc Cauley website it does say to use over 3 days so they do work within that time limit.

I've used all but four of the dots that I received and I did notice that some of them were a little stickier than others. They weren't painful to remove but it took a little bit of fiddling with them. I used these on the right side of my face as that is the side I sleep on and they were all intact in the morning so in that case it is a plus.

They are simple to use, just cleanse your skin,peel a dot of the backing and apply to your spot.It changes overnight from clear to a white milky colour to let you know it's ready to be taken of in the morning.

Apologies for having no pictures but I think your better off not seeing my spots.

These retail for €14.99 for 24 dots with free delivery from Sam Mc Cauley but Lloyds Pharmacy Has them for €9.99 at the minute. If You have anything special coming up or just hate having pesky spots I would recommend them. They work within their claims and heal spots completely, even huge painful ones.

Have you or are you thinking of trying these?Let me know below..

*I was sent this product for review but this has not affected my opinion on the product

A post on grieving..

Grieving is something everything has to go through in their lives. It's horrible but it's true. Whether it be from a beloved pet, relative or friend, it happens to us all.It's a tough time but you do get through it, it could take months or years but you do get through it and you come out stronger in the end.It's just the getting through it part that is difficult. 

The funny thing about it though is that you never know how you'll react. You think you do but until you have to go through it you won't know for sure. I thought I  would be very strong, and in some cases I was, but in others I was a wreak. You can react differently every time it seems.

I was the biggest wreak when I lost one of my parents. It's over five years since it happened and I'm still going through the 'Five stages of grief'. 

I lost a parent when I was a teenager. It's a tough time anyway but add that on top of it and it's hell. 

I was in the first stage of grief-Denial- before they even died as we knew it was coming. I knew it was coming but I was in complete denial. I believed everyone was lying to me. I believed that a miracle would happen and that they'd be fine,that it was all just a misunderstanding. It didn't and it wasn't unfortunately, but I was adamant it would. And this is completely normal. Everyone may go though it for some length of time, even it's it's only for a few days.

The second stage is Anger. I was only in this for a short time, but my god I was angry. I blamed everything and everyone for my parents death including myself.I was angry at my parent for leaving me and making me deal with all this. I pushed away all my friends as they just didn't understand. I pushed away everyone that tried to help. Looking back I think this was the hardest time, not for me but for the people around me.Again, it's different for everyone.

Bargaining. Another short stage one for me. I was making deals with God and Buddha and anything I thought would help. They didn't of course but I tried my best. I would've gave anything to have them back. 

The Depression Stage

This was my longest stage.Honestly there are days I think I am still in it. This was the most difficult time for me. I felt completely alone. My friends and family all said 'they understood' but they didn't. Some friends (no longer though) felt that I should be over it after four or five years but I just couldn't. They thought I just wanted attention and an excuse to talk about myself. This wasn't the case at all but that's how they seen it. 

I got in touch with a therapist and only for them and not sure how I would be. Only my very close family knew about it as I didn't want it getting out that I was seeing a shrink. The stigma of depression is quite bad in Ireland unfortunately and I was afraid of what people would think.

But if you think it would help please go and see one. Even if it'd just to talk freely about your day to day life, screw the stigma and talk to one. It honestly helps so much. I don't understand why there is still such a stigma about depression still but that may be another post.

Acceptance

This is the stage I think I am going through at the minute. That I hope I am going through anyway.

Although, just because I may be going through accepting it all doesn't mean that I am carefree and happy all the time. There are still days when I don't want to even get out of bed and put on 'The Happy Face'. It's still difficult but it is getting easier.I find that going to their grave and telling them about everything that's been happening ,makes me feel close to them. This has only happened in the last six months or so though. Before that I only went to their grave twice in five years.

Like I keep saying though is that everyone handles it differently.what was hard for me may not be as bad for you. What was easier for me may be the difficult thing for you.Everyone is different.

Not everyone goes through all these stages though and any stage can last any amount of time. It depends on the person going through it.

If there is anything I want you to get from this waffling of mine is that it honestly does get easier. There may be a few hurdles along the way put you will manoeuvre around them. Whatever it may be that you are grieving for please know that they are always with you, whether it's when you think back on something funny they did and smile, or cry from missing them so much, that's them being with you. They are always in your heart and mind and they will never truly leave you. That's what I think anyway. There are always people to talk to, whether it be your friends, family or people like the Samaritans (116123-now a free to call number) and it really does help to talk. Whatever you are feeling let yourself do it. If you want to cry then go ahead and cry, if you want to laugh then carry on. Don't feel guilty about doing any of these things.

I've been writing this post for over two weeks now and changed it god knows how many times. I'm a little scared to put something this personal to me out there but if it helps anyone then it'll be worth it. I hope this post has made sense to you, I kind of blurted everything out every time I tried to rewrite it. 

If you want to talk about this more or have something made a little more sense of  my email is everydayunicorn1@gmail.com and twitter is HERE. If I can help with anything at all I will.